Jun 29, 2009
National MS Society commits $15.8 million to new research, including Mayo Clinic study
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced it has committed $15.8 million to support 45 new MS research projects as part of its $40 million international investment this year alone to spur momentum in cutting-edge MS research. Of the investment, nearly $55,000 is allocated for a post-doctoral fellowship led by Dr. Dale Edberg at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn.
Edberg, who was diagnosed with MS in 1994, is developing a sophisticated new tool to discover factors responsible for healing damaged myelin in the central nervous system. Myelin — the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers — is the target of the immune attack in MS. Identifying molecules involved in myelin repair could ultimately lead to therapies aimed at restoring function in people with MS.
Other new projects include a comprehensive genome-wide exploration of susceptibility genes — the next definitive step to map all genes that make people susceptible to MS; a clinical trial to test the impact of vitamin D and how it alters the immune system in people who have MS; and an investigation of changes in the brain that may lead to personality and behavior disorders in MS.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT ALL NEWLY-FUNDED STUDIES.
“The National MS Society’s research program constantly strives to move us closer to a world free of this disease,” said Maureen Reeder, president of the National MS Society, Minnesota Chapter. “Our longstanding investment has paid off with new treatments and better methods of diagnosis and disease management for people with MS. We’re excited to see where these new projects lead us — including this promising new study right here in Minnesota.”
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. The disease strikes someone new every hour and is the most common neurological disease diagnosed in young to middle-aged adults. MS affects nearly 10,000 people in Minnesota and western Wisconsin and more than 2.1 million worldwide.
To ensure the scientific merit of each research proposal selected, the National MS Society relies on expert advisory committees that include more than 70 world-class scientists who volunteer their time to carefully evaluate hundreds of proposals every year.
There are six FDA-approved drugs that can impact the underlying disease course in people with the more common forms of MS. However, none of these drugs can stop or cure the disease. The National MS Society funded basic research that helped lead to the development of each of these drugs, and continues to be a driving force of MS research. Learn more about National MS Society-funded research at www.nationalMSsociety.org.